Cheap, reliable and worksBy Kyleon 1/2/2013

Way cheaper than competition but does not show in its quality. Works great so far and does what it needs to do..top off.

unreliable for me alsoBy 241wrasseon 1/2/2013

241wrasse wouldn't recommend this product to a friend

Low cost is nice, but in this case you get what you pay for, & I'd rather pay a little more for an important function.

Went on vacation for a week, thank God I had a tank sitter - he found the sump water level dangerously low 3 days into my vacation, with the return pump spouting tons of bubbles into the display tank. Good thing the return pump didn't run dry - would've fried it. Could've gone the opposite way, with the ATO pump running until it overflowed the sump!

Randomly it'll quit working - pump light is on but pump not engaged, confirmed the pump is fully functional. ATO box has to be powered off & back on, usually it'll reset back to normal the first time it's power-cycled.

Update-Bad BuyBy Ronon 12/28/2012

Ron wouldn't recommend this product to a friend

This is an update to my review below. Initially was having problems with it automatically timing out randomly when it would turn the aqualifter on. Was leaving for vaction for three weeks and had no time to get a replacement. Worked around it by having the reefkeeper turn it off an reset it every 45 minutes. I've been monitoring it by cam while I'm on vacation. 10 days in, I wake up this morning and log in and one of my water alarms is going off. It has failed now in the on position. Every 45 minutes when the reefkeeper rests it, it's kicking on for the max of 14 before it times out. Can't tell if my floor is flooded yet and had to make an emergency call to a friend that's been checking on the tank to head over and unplug the damn thing. Total junk, thanks JBJ. If you are using this, I highly recommend you don't rely on it to go on vacation.

Simple and EffectiveBy Josephon 12/27/2012

Joseph would recommend this product to a friend

Easy setup and works great with 1/2 hose and MJ1200. Dont forget to get a pump when buying this. After research I decided not to go with the aqualifter pump due to head pressure and friction loss in tiny tubing.. Get a better pump and this unit and your set.

Best buyBy Josephon 12/22/2012

Joseph would recommend this product to a friend

Another great JBJ product, couldn't be easier than this. Works great, a must have for anyone using a sump.

Does exactly what I wantedBy Chadon 12/15/2012

Chad would recommend this product to a friend

This ATO does exactly what you expect it to do. JBJ gives you a few options on how you would set it up, and although I am not an expert I think they include every applicable way to work an ATO.

I have one sensor in the third chamber of my sump and the other in a bucket full of fresh RO/DI water. When the water level in the sump gets low, it fills it. If the sensor in the bucket gets triggered it stops pumping water, which saves the pump.

I paired this with a Marineland Maxi-jet 400.

UNRELIABLE FOR MEBy Ronon 12/8/2012

Ron wouldn't recommend this product to a friend

I just got the JBJ ATO and it's doing the same thing others have reported on various forums. Randomly, sometimes as much as once an hour, the controller turns on but with in a few seconds goes into time out mode shutting the pump off. I have it set to the max, which lets it run for about 13 1/2 minutes when it's working the way it's suppose to. Some have said the aqualifter may not be drawing enough power, like the reefkeeper problem with Koralia pumps on the solid state relays. I plugged a lamp in, in addition to the aqualifter with no change. So I'm not blaming the aqualifter at this point. Power draw doesn't seem to be the problem. I believe it's a problem with the electronics of the ATO itself. I found a work around on the internet of putting a timer on the ATO using my reefkeeper. Once an hour the reefkeeper turns the ATO off and back on resetting it. This works fine, but my confidence in the ATO isn't that great since I have to manipulate it to work. If the timeout becomes frequent enough, eventually it won't keep up, and worried it will end up having some other failure. Wishing I would have went with the Tunze now, which I'll probably do, and end up almost $300 into an ATO vs $200 if I had bought the Tunze from the beginning. I love BRS, but looking at the return policy for the first time, it states warranty issues must go through the manufacturer, vs. being able to return a defective product directly to BRS. I'd like to swap it for a Tunze, rather than trying to get it fixed or replaced. So that was a disappointment also. Buy yourself a different ATO.

Many limitations, one fatal flaw for meBy Davidon 12/2/2012

David wouldn't recommend this product to a friend

Don't be fooled by two float switches - they don't work as you'd expect. Instead of redundancy - 1 "high" switch as a backup in case the "low" switch fails or is blocked - it's just 1 switch for minimum water level and 1 switch for maximum water level (Mode B). Or 1 switch in the ATO reservoir to protect the pump from running dry (Mode A). Anyone serious about safe ATO wants redundant switches in the sump/tank. Now I have to decide if I want the Tunze or DIY with my controller.
More minor concerns are the mounting brackets for the float switches. They don't fit over the rim of my tank very well and the height setting is adjustable in only large increments.
The float switch "guards" don't look like they'd keep anything out - any small to medium size snail could get in there and block the float's motion.
All together a disaster waiting to happen.

SIMPLE LOW COST OPTION FOR ATO. SIMPLY WORKS.By Kevinon 12/2/2012

Kevin would recommend this product to a friend

I've ordered two now, one about a year ago for my main tank and now this for my pico. ATO units don't need to be complicated. They just need to do three things:

-Transfer water from a reservoir to your sump/tank.

-Not overflow your sump/tank.

-Shutoff when reservoir is empty to prevent pump failure.

This product does all three, but does not come with a pump so I'd recommend the aqualifter.

ReliableBy brianon 11/30/2012

brian would recommend this product to a friend

Feels a little cheap but runs like a champ. I've had one for over a year with no hiccups and just ordered another one for a frag tank.

Bad product failed after 2 monthsBy Martinon 11/23/2012

Martin wouldn't recommend this product to a friend

I really regret this buy.....got it for a friend tank....My 2 Tank are on an Osmolator....never had issue....But the JBJ failed to restart after a power outage....no more light nothing !

Don't waste your moneyBy APOon 11/15/2012

APO wouldn't recommend this product to a friend

Had this unit and really liked it at first. It seemed to work fine just as advertised. 6 months in the controller has stopped working and emptied my reserve almost causing a major disaster. I figured this was just a stuck float or something but it was not, unit no longer works. Save your money and buy the bigger dosing pump with a timer or even better allow a controller to do it for you.

UpdateBy Jeromion 11/11/2012

Jeromi wouldn't recommend this product to a friend

Ok, so I wrote a less than glowing review of the JBJ auto-top off. I managed to do a web search and found that you have to take the unit apart to change the setting for the fail safe. Mine was set as low as it could get and my aqualifter just couldn't keep up. Once I took the unit apart and set it for the 14 minute setting, it's worked with no problem. bad design.

annoyingBy Jeromion 11/11/2012

Jeromi wouldn't recommend this product to a friend

This thing does not turn my aqualifter on. It doesn't matter how I have it set up. I've heard that the aqualifter doesn't draw enough power for the JBJ to even pick up on, but I find that hard to believe. I want to use the Aqualifter because I want a slow top off, but, so far it's been worthless. I have to manually push the float switch down for it to pump any water. This is becoming more of a pain than it's worth. I was better off manually adding water every day.

works greatBy jon 10/3/2012

j would recommend this product to a friend

This works great for ATO. It meshes well with the aqualifter

EXELLENT PRODUCT FOR A GREAT PRICEBy Richardon 9/13/2012

Richard would recommend this product to a friend

I have had this unit on my 57 gallon tank for 1 month and love it! Easy to set up. However, I wilsh they had a manget option for the sump float switch as the suction cups don't work that well. Long story short, I made my own.

In short, I highly recommend this product. In fact, I am buying a second one right now!!

good productBy Matthewon 9/9/2012

Matthew would recommend this product to a friend

i got the auto top off about 5 months and it just makes everything so much easier to have a high mantiance hobby

Good ProductBy Matthewon 9/4/2012

Matthew would recommend this product to a friend

I have had this controller on a few tanks for the last 3 years and it has performed well. Be sure to take the safety time limit (3 min max I believe) into account when selecting the pump. You want to be able to run less than that amount for normal top-offs but less that what would cause a flood.

Easy to useBy Vincenton 9/1/2012

Vincent would recommend this product to a friend

A very quick to set up and run ATO. Everything is tucked away out of sight in the sump area and the unit comes with more than enough hanging options for the floats. Good product.

Works as expectedBy Nicholason 8/7/2012

Nicholas would recommend this product to a friend

This product does exactly what I needed. There's not much else to say. I haven't been using it for long so I can't speak to the longevity and final value, but it was easy to set up and works great so far.

Affordable and Exceptional ATOBy Jasonon 7/14/2012

Jason would recommend this product to a friend

Purchased for my SPS dominated 40 Breeder. Works well out of box, and very easily assembled.

Mounting brackets are a bit of an issue dealing with, but I ended up fabricating my own for my needs.

Great unitBy Davidon 7/2/2012

David would recommend this product to a friend

I got this unit two weeks ago, and it has worked great. No more filling up the tank every day.

Great productBy Jeffon 6/30/2012

Jeff would recommend this product to a friend

As expected a great product at a great price

Great PurchaseBy Jeffon 6/30/2012

Jeff would recommend this product to a friend

I wish I didn't wait so long to buy this ATO. This is a great product at a great price. For some reason I thought it came with a pump which it did not; no fault of the product, I should have read the description more thoroughly

well worth the moneyBy Davidon 6/7/2012

David would recommend this product to a friend

I have three reef tanks each needing top offs daily of up to 1.5 gallons. This has relieved me of much daily work. It is accurate and dependable. An inexpensive pump works like a charm, and keeps the specific gravity constant. Two caveats though. Make sure the outflow is above the tank water level to avoid reverse siphoning, and remove snails from the sump. Twice a tank flooded because a snail interfered with the sump sensor.

perfect for reducing daily maintanceBy Roberton 5/29/2012

Robert would recommend this product to a friend

great item to have install in your tank/sump. removes the daily maintance to top off your tank manually. especally on a small biocube :P

JBJ A.T.O. - Automatic Auto Top Off System Water Level ControllerBy onlylight36on 5/22/2012

onlylight36 would recommend this product to a friend

man I like this little item, it keeps my tank topped off , so I don't have to worry about my water levels dropping off to much.

Recommend for any tank.By Shawnon 5/20/2012

Shawn would recommend this product to a friend

This ATO is great for the money. I used it connected to a MJ 1200 and 5 gal reservoir and never had any issues. Make sure your hose from the reservoir to the tank is out of the water or it will back siphon. Definitely recommend.

Great!By Jasonon 4/26/2012

Jason would recommend this product to a friend

I've had many tanks over the years and this is my first ATO and wow I cant imagine ever having another tank without one again. Easy to setup and use well worth the money

Great! Well worth the money!!By davidon 3/26/2012

david would recommend this product to a friend

I bought this ATO just about 10 months ago so i could go on vacation and it performed perfectly. to this day its still running strong keeping my water at the correct level

Perfect!By Deborahon 3/15/2012

Deborah would recommend this product to a friend

This is an amazing product, comes with many different mounting heights and has an auto shut off for when your top off water runs out so that your pump does not stay on and burn itself out.

Note: this does not include a pump so you will need to get one, but buy it and be happy that your tank will have more stability and you wont have to do manual top offs near as much!

Works great & very reliableBy Ericon 3/14/2012

Eric would recommend this product to a friend

We have had one of these systems running our ATO for the last 2 years. With the exception of occasional cleaning of the float switched it works maintenance free. We now have three of them on our three tanks. Great value for a solid ATO system.

sweet By rafaelon 2/17/2012

rafael would recommend this product to a friend

i started to use this ato system and i absolutly love it!

Overall good performanceBy lilredwuckon 2/13/2012

lilredwuck would recommend this product to a friend

I use this with a Tom's Aqua lifter, and a 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot. Works perfectly except when I mess with things like adjusting the skimmer. Safety timer turns it off even though it isn't done filling. Haven't had any problems besides that. Have usually caught it when it happens.

pretty goodBy sqasnatchon 1/28/2012

sqasnatch would recommend this product to a friend

should come with a on off switch for water changes

nice systemBy Williamon 12/28/2011

William would recommend this product to a friend

this auto top off system works like a charm!!!

A good ProductBy joeon 11/25/2011

joe would recommend this product to a friend

It does exactly what it says, refills the top off. However it is very hard for me to adjust the time the contoller lets the pump stay on. I would recommend this for anyone who wants an inexpensive top off controller.

Simple and does the jobBy Nathanon 9/27/2011

Nathan would recommend this product to a friend

Does what it says, no complaints here. Don't forget you need a pump thou.

great productBy Bryanon 8/11/2011

Bryan would recommend this product to a friend

Product works like stated customer service from JBJ is good. I think that some people just dont follow directions well, or fail to check website for fixes on buzzer and fail safe shut off timer.

Recommend!!By Alexon 8/11/2011

Alex would recommend this product to a friend

I would def recommend this to everyone.

3 Months and Sensor BrokenBy PKon 7/31/2011

PK wouldn't recommend this product to a friend

It worked well for the time being but one of the sensors broke. It flooded my tank. Good thing it had a timer off.

crapBy boo-von 7/6/2011

boo-v wouldn't recommend this product to a friend

Hate this thing, it turns on when it wants to and almost always adds too much water to my system, I should have kept my money and went with a gravity ATO

Easy to useBy Stevenon 5/17/2011

Steven would recommend this product to a friend

I would def recommend this to everyone. this system is so easy to use I had it set up in less than 4 min.

Works very wellBy Chrison 4/28/2011

Chris would recommend this product to a friend

This little unit is a trooper, I have a constant water level in my BIoCube 29 now. This means my skimmer in chamber 2 can work 24/7 now. Very pleased with this product so far.

Works greatBy Ethanon 12/23/2010

Ethan would recommend this product to a friend

works great easy to setup pretty much plug and play. Only thing you need is a pump which i used a aqua lifter pump for 16 bucks.

Solid and very affordable ATO sollutionBy Fredon 9/29/2010

Fred would recommend this product to a friend

This is the easiest to use ATO that i have ever used and BRS has made the unit very affordable to purchase and its very reliable. I have read complaints of people using this ATO .. but they were old versions. The Manufacture has stamped out the bugs as I personally have not seen any issues thus far from this product and I run two on different systems.

A must for sucess with a reef tank.By MandMon 7/24/2010

MandM would recommend this product to a friend

Automating the top-off process made a huge difference in my tank. In the summer I evaporate up to 3g per day. Daily manual top-offs were messy and if I missed a day, the salinitiy got too high to allow a complete top-off, I had to add slowly. Keeping a constant level made for a much happier tank and tank-keeper.